A recent research study highlighted a significant link between the use of handheld cellphones and dangerous driving habits in newly licensed teenage drivers. The investigation, led by a team from Penn Nursing and the Perelman School of Medicine, and supported by the Centers for Disease Control, tracked the driving behaviors of numerous teens through a smartphone telematics application to spot potential safety concerns.
A recent study, conducted by researchers from Penn Nursing and the Perelman School of Medicine, and funded by the Centers for Disease Control, found a strong connection between handheld cellphone usage and dangerous driving habits among newly licensed teen drivers. This research, which was initially published in JAMA Open, employed a smartphone telematics application to monitor the driving behaviors of hundreds of teens and highlight possible safety hazards.
The research revealed that teens who used their phones while driving were notably more inclined to exhibit risky driving behaviors, like harsh braking and swift acceleration, both of which can heighten the chances of accidents and injuries.
“This study provides additional evidence of the risks associated with using handheld cellphones while driving,” stated lead author Catherine C. McDonald, PhD, RN, FAAN, who holds the Dr. Hildegarde Reynolds Endowed Term Chair of Primary Care Nursing, serves as a Professor of Nursing, chair of the Department of Family and Community Health at Penn Nursing, and co-director of the Penn Injury Science Center. “It’s essential for both teens and their parents to recognize these dangers and take measures to refrain from cellphone use while behind the wheel.”
The researchers monitored 119 teen drivers, all of whom had been licensed for less than one year, over a span of 60 days using a smartphone telematics application. They assessed various aspects of their trips, including speeding, cellphone use, and events linked to risky driving. The findings indicated that more than one-third of trips involved handheld cellphone usage, with speeding occurring in over 40% of those trips, and both cellphone use and speeding correlated with risky driving events.
“Smartphone telematics applications serve as crucial tools for examining driving behaviors and crafting interventions to enhance safety,” noted McDonald. “By pinpointing risky actions, we can create targeted approaches to assist teens in becoming safer drivers.”
The study recommends that both teens and their parents establish strategies to minimize cellphone use while driving, such as keeping phones out of reach or utilizing hands-free options. Additionally, parents are encouraged to discuss the hazards of distracted driving with their teens and exemplify safe practices by avoiding phone usage while driving themselves.
This research received backing from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under award number: R49CE003083. Other contributors to the study include: Kevin Rix, PhD, MPH from the Department of Health Promotion and Behavioral Science, University of Texas Health Houston; Jeffrey P. Ebert, PhD from the Penn Medicine Nudge Unit and the Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Subhash Aryal, PhD from the Department of Nursing Faculty, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing; Ruiying Xiong, MS from the Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania; Douglas J. Wiebe, PhD from the University of Michigan; and M. Kit Delgado, MD, MS from the Penn Medicine Nudge Unit and Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.
